Oct 31, 2011 8:10 PM

At the end of August, I started running again after 13 years. It was tough getting going, but after 3 weeks I started getting the runner's high. Since I'm a geek I got a heart rate monitor to help with my training. Today I did some 1/4 mile interval training to increase my speed. My MHR hit 195. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I'm 36 so my max heart rate is calculated to be 184 if you do the 220 - age or 187 if you do the 205 - (.5 * age). I'm 6' 5" and about 200 lbs. My RHR is 58.

I read somewhere that the MHR has nothing to do with your endurance, but is a genetic thing. Ok... that's fine. But I'm curious if I should let my heart rate get up that high? Is it dangerous? Is it a benefit that it can get that high? I'm generally fit so I'm not too concerned. I didn't feel like I was going to pass out or anything. I just felt good and winded. (Didn't help that I was running into a strong head wind.)

I was also concerned about this. It may be the heartrate monitor. Though I'm a little younger at 26, my watch often goes to 195 when I continue to run hard. I've read that you can't always trust what those heartrate montors show as accurate. I also know that the instructions for the heartrate monitor say not to wear synthetic fabrics because they can cause static and raise the heartrate.

If you measure your heartrate by other means and it is that high, everything that I have read says that you should not continuously train at this level. Most of the studies and books that I have read suggest that you should train at around 60% for normal runs and for weightloss and cardio and around 80% to increase your VO max.

The 220 formula is xtremely inaccurate for calculating MHR. If you're seeing 195 during intervals, then your MHR is probably upwards of 200+. Nothing wrong with that. I'm 50 and mine is aprox 200. The best way to find your MHR is to run for awhile, then do some intervals or hills, or to keep track of your HR at the end of a race. It's hard to get there, because it is very uncomfortable to run that hard. It's okay if you are a few beats short.

Running that hard isn't dangerous per se. You can only run so long that hard anyway without having to slow down. Doing too much speedwork can break you down after awhile. It is best to train aerobically and keep the speed work to a minimum.

The belief that MHR is fixed has been challenged over the years. Some say it gets lower by a few beats when you become very fit. I have experienced a higher MHR when I was out of shape at one point.

I agree with jjwaverly42--the generic MHR calculations out there are very flawed. The best way to measure (if you feel you even need to) is to use the ones that use your personal stress test results to calculate it. It's probably more important for you use your heart rate monitor to track your fitness gains as well as what heart rates you attain at different effort levels.

As jjwaverly42 said, you can't--nor should you--spend too much time with speed work and intervals. The fact that you can reach 195 beats/minute doesn't mean you should target that each day. Once a week, tops. For the rest of the time, you want to work in a lower range (150-160, maybe?), so that you feel comfortable. You will increase your endurance this way, by training your body to burn fat instead of only sugar, and you will also improve your oxygen transport system (capillary production in muscles). Most importantly, running comfortably helps decrease your risk of injury.

Heart Rate and Exercise go hand-in-hand for proper training. As athletes we are striving to be our best and understanding heart rate is key. And from time to time we ask ourselves, “how hard should I be training?” To become stronger we know that we need to push our body to make it stronger. The intensity level must be high enough to overload the cardiovascular system, but not so severe that it over taxes other systems in our body. This is where a knowledge of heart rate and exercise is important. I found this article called Heart Rate and Exerices very informative.

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